Well, first thing's first; an Alabama football update. Alabama blew past Ole Miss this weekend with little to no difficulty (Miss. State friends- you're welcome). After being sparked by Ole Miss scoring first, we caught a glimpse of our offense's potential with a final score of 52-7 moving our record on to 7-0 for the season. Yesterday began my favorite week of SEC college football season: Tennessee week. Yep, the third week of October has begun and will culminate in a game against the Vols in Bryant-Denny stadium on Saturday. Oh, how I hate that I am missing it! Roll Tide Roll!
3. Vida Joven Area Este Torneo de Futbol (YoungLife East Side Soccer Tournament) took place in Alajuela on October 9th. We put together an International Schools YoungLife team with two leaders, and four middle school & high school girls from 3 different international schools. The tournament was 5v5 and hosted teams from all YoungLife areas across San Jose and neighboring communities, including Capernaum areas (YoungLife for teenagers with disabilities). It was incredible! We played 4 games in one day, and we made it to the women's final game but lost to Moravia.
On that note, this is one of the "Top 5 Best Moments of my Life": Rocky Block 2009 in Bryant-Denny
(I discovered colored font...hence you seeing color-coded football teams. Spicing things up!)
Now then, the big news from the small country on the equator is I've now been here for 2 months as of October 15th, and I have exactly 2 months left before I fly home for Christmas on December 15th. I hope no one back home is offended when I tell you that I have mixed feeling about going back to the States for almost an entire month. Not that I haven't missed my family, friends, and the comforts of home, but I'm just now getting to a point where I'm making a life for myself here. It may be a little strange to go back and interrupt my almost complete assimilation to life in Costa Rica. But don't worry, I still have 2 months to go, and my feelings may change before then. I'll be home on the 15th with plenty of souvenirs and hugs to go around!
Things that have happened towards the end of this month:
1. My great friend and fellow intern, Nicki Raimondo, turned 23! Of course she got to choose what we did for her birthday, and I was so glad she chose to do the hike "a las tres cruces" (to the three crosses)! This hike lasts about 5 hours and takes you to each of the 3 crosses as you ascend the mountain that towers over our town of Escazu. The descent trail is nearly non-existent, and you follow a cow path down the mountain and then a river bed back to civilization. So cool! Of course, us girls took plenty of pictures of the ever-changing scenery. Later that night, our mentors hosted a birthday party for everyone with a birthday this semester.
The first cross
The second cross
Headstands on the mountainside
Awesome tree
Hey-oh, we made it!
Our team with some of our sweet mentors for Nicki's birthday
2. Then another great friend and co-worker, Ali Campbell, turned 28! One of Ali's favorite things to do, like a true Tica, is go dancing. So, that we did! It was a great time with a great group; our YoungLife friends, our Vida Joven friends, and the other friends we've made outside of work. I'm still learning to salsa, merangue, and cumbia, but I enjoy it and it's a cultural experience.
The girls before going dancing for Ali's birthday
Learning how to salsa dance (in cowboy boots)
3. Vida Joven Area Este Torneo de Futbol (YoungLife East Side Soccer Tournament) took place in Alajuela on October 9th. We put together an International Schools YoungLife team with two leaders, and four middle school & high school girls from 3 different international schools. The tournament was 5v5 and hosted teams from all YoungLife areas across San Jose and neighboring communities, including Capernaum areas (YoungLife for teenagers with disabilities). It was incredible! We played 4 games in one day, and we made it to the women's final game but lost to Moravia.
Our first soccer game of the day
Team International Schools in green and ready to go
Sweaty team after the finals
Game 2 against Alajuela Capernaum
4. My favorite YoungLife yet was this past Wednesday evening- Tourist Club! I loved it because it was a club you may not be able to pull off in the States with as much appreciation as you can in another country. Tourist Club is the story of our lives here! There were backpacks, fanny packs, crazy hats, sunglasses, and Hawaiian shirts galore. The club attendance was one for the books, and I left with a huge smile on my face for the rest of the night!
Tourist Club celebrating Ali's birthday
Professional tourists
Scavenger hunt completed
5. Well, folks, here we are after spending 2 months together: your International Schools YoungLife Staff. (Still praying for some male presence...)
Left to right: Sydney, Jessie, Alex, Ali, & Nicki
As far as where I am with life these days:
-Costa Rica has become my new home
-I am praying through what continuing to do full-time ministry will look like in my quickly approaching future
-We are facing a challenge in our YoungLife area to re-vamp our approach to reaching a world of kids and how to best utilize our now larger team
-My madre bought a dryer for our home here (huge deal)
-The Lord is teaching me just how incredibly able and faithful He truly is
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20
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